- The Throats of Sea Turtles Are Lined With Spiky Protrusions
These reptiles appear as charming creatures until you look inside their mouths. The esophagus of sea turtles is covered with thorn-like protrusions all the way to the stomach. These help them hold onto jellyfish, their primary prey. During meals, the turtles use throat muscles to push out the water that gets swallowed with the food. The spikes ensure the prey doesn’t slip out with the liquid. Additionally, the protrusions protect the mucous lining from the jellyfish’s venom.
- The Fangtooth Fish Has Teeth So Large It Can’t Close Its Mouth
This predator rarely grows larger than 30 centimeters, but its powerful jaws give it a truly terrifying appearance, earning it the nickname “viperfish.” It feeds on small fish and shrimp, which it swallows whole. So, why does it need such sharp, needle-like teeth? These teeth help the fish create a “cage” from its jaws, trapping its prey inside. The teeth are semi-transparent, so the prey often doesn’t notice them until it’s too late.
- The Goblin Shark Can Extend Its Jaw by Seven Centimeters
This deep-sea dweller isn’t exactly a beauty. It has a long, shovel-shaped snout, a flabby body, and a tail with an underdeveloped lower lobe. But its most terrifying feature is its ability to suddenly extend its jaw forward by seven centimeters. It performs this trick only during hunting. This predator mainly feeds on small fish and invertebrates.
- The Sea Cucumber Spits Out Its Internal Organs
Sea cucumbers are part of the echinoderm family, closely related to sea stars and sea urchins. Their bodies indeed resemble cucumbers, but these animals have small tube-like feet. Sea cucumbers face many predators: crabs, fish, turtles, certain shark species, and even humans. To escape, they’ve developed a frightening defense mechanism. When threatened, the sea cucumber can contract its muscles and shoot part of its intestines at the predator. The process is harmless and repeatable, as the animal’s organs regenerate quickly.
- A Shark Can Grow a New Tooth in One Day
The lemon shark can shed over 30,000 teeth in its lifetime. On average, this predator loses a tooth every week. This is because, like human baby teeth, the shark’s teeth aren’t well-anchored to its gums. Sharks have multiple rows of teeth, with the front ones being the most used, so they wear down the fastest. But don’t feel too sorry for them — a new tooth can grow in just one day after one falls out!
